A Fish Like Morning
by McGonagall's Bola
Summary: What happens when the blond bard Gabrielle decides to take care of breakfast one morning? Xena/Gabrielle -REWRITTEN!


Gabrielle woke up very early in the morning. She and Xena had been travelling for days, and had stopped close by a little lake to sleep very late last night. They hadn't had anything proper to eat since they'd left Thebes, and Gabrielle honestly didn't have any idea how far along it still was to Argos. Hopefully not that far, she thought. She'd simply woken from hunger. The sun hadn't yet fully risen, but her stomach protested against going back to sleep and craved for decent food. She quietly propped up a few inches and looked to her side to find Xena still sleeping peacefully. At least she thought so.

The young blond bard tried to get up without waking her companion and padded over to the side of the lake. She sank down on her knees and bent over to cradle some clear water in her hands and bring it to her lips slowly to drink. She repeated this movement a couple of times until she wasn't thirsty anymore, and then sighed. Her stomach was cramping with hunger. She needed food. "Now," she said to herself, "if Xena can do this without trouble, then I should manage as well."

Behind her, one of Xena's bright blue eyes peered. She'd been awake the entire time, but hadn't made a sound, up until she heard Gabrielle talking to herself. Curiousness had brought the warrior princess to opening one eye to follow Gabrielle's movements.

The blonde quietly got up and spread her arms as if she was being attacked. Xena quietly frowned from her lying position, but remained quiet and motionless. From where she was lying, she saw Gabrielle taking a few steps into the shallow water. She slowly padded further in until the water was knee high, then suddenly she bent forward and launched herself into the water. She shrieked loudly when her head plunged into the cold water, but soon enough she popped out again, her hair all wet and clinging to her skull. She quietly turned around in the water to the sound of feminine giggles behind her.

Xena was still lying where she'd left her earlier, now, however, laughing loud and clutching her abdomen with both hands. "Xena..." Gabrielle tried. "I'm hungry... Could you please help me? I mean, I'm no good at this."

"That, I just noticed." Xena let out, laughing still, but made no intention of getting up to help Gabrielle with catching early fishes. Gabrielle glared at her friend momentarily, but turned back around resolute to catch a fish since her partner apparently wasn't going to help her. Eying a big fish Gabrielle launched herself at it, this time however, hitting her head against a stone lying on the bottom of the lake.

It was only after a few moments that Xena managed to stop laughing and turn on her side again, finding the lake completely calm and Gabrielle-free. The sight alarmed the warrior and she sat up and called out her companion's name. When no answer came she made her way to the lake hurriedly. Gabrielle was nowhere to be seen and Xena wadded further to where she had seen Gabrielle earlier. Still there was no sign of her. Xena dove into the cold water without hesitation and saw her companion lying on the bottom of the shallow lake. She swam to her side, catching a glimpse a giant water snake methodically curling around the blond bard's chest. It would suffocate her. Xena didn't doubt that a snake that size could easily break all of Gabrielle's ribs.

She reached carefully with both hands and slowly uncurled the snake from Gabrielle. The creature would not be moved so easily and in the moment Xena had to act quickly, crushing the snake's skull and pushing it out into deeper water. She lifted the young girl out of the water. When Gabrielle resurfaced she coughed perhaps at the shocking difference in temperature.

Xena helped her companion ashore and laid her down on her back. Gabrielle spit out spurts of water that had gotten into her lungs. She felt her head where the stone had hit it. "Gabrielle, are you hurt?" Xena questioned, checking her over. "Gabrielle?"

"I just hit my head; it's really nothing."

"Let me see," the warrior princess calmly demanded.

"I'm fine," Gabrielle stressed, moving away holding the back of her head when Xena moved in for a closer look. So she leaned back and sat silently until Gabrielle spoke. "I'm still hungry..." she stated, looking at her partner with hopeful eyes.

Xena rolled her bright blues getting up and commenting, "I'll show you how pros catch fish."


End file.
